Centegra's Huntley hospital opens - and first baby quickly arrives
Just as Centegra Hospital-Huntley's employees gathered for a historic group photo before the hospital's opening at 7 a.m. Tuesday, a surprise pulled up in the parking lot.
Shane and Heather Doty had arrived, with the latter fully in the throes of labor. With that, employees abandoned their photo op and sprung into action to make the Hampshire resident first to use the state-of-the-art women's center with 20 private obstetric rooms.
Weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 18 days early, Gianna Doty became the first baby delivered in the suburbs' newest hospital, arriving at 7:02 a.m.
"That was not my goal," said Heather, 39. "I wasn't due until the 27th, so we had nothing ready, no bag packed."
Eight centimeters dilated with contractions close together, Doty knew she wouldn't make it to her scheduled hospital, Centegra's McHenry facility.
"She wasn't waiting for no one," Doty said. "She came fast. It all just happened so fast that it was really a blur. We're really thankful that it worked out."
Women's center employees were caught off guard, yet the delivery went smoothly, said Heidi Close, director of women's services.
Doty and another woman who delivered by Caesarean section at 9 a.m. received complimentary gift baskets from the hospital.
Centegra Hospital-Huntley is only the third hospital to open in Illinois in 35 years and will serve patients in southern McHenry County and northern Kane County.
The roughly $230 million, 360,000-square-foot hospital at 10400 Haligus Road, between Algonquin and Reed roads, is on Centegra's existing 110-acre health campus. It includes the Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Center, which has an outdoor pool, and two medical office buildings.
The hospital offers 100 beds, a full-service emergency department, eight intensive care beds, 24-hour pediatric care, a special care nursery, a joint and hip replacement center, a new cardiac catheterization laboratory and cardiology services, a helipad for transporting critical patients, and an outpatient pharmacy.
"It's really exciting," Centegra Health System Chief Executive Officer Mike Eesley said. "It's been busy. That's always a good sign. It proves our original hypothesis: This community truly needs a hospital."
A steady stream of patients, mostly with minor injuries such as a fall or minor car crash, began flowing into the emergency department by late morning.
"There have been no major glitches," said Catie Schmit, director of emergency services for Centegra Health System. "The staff is ready."
The hospital is expected to employ more than 1,000 people, including roughly 200 physicians and 450 associates to be hired initially. About 60 percent of the associates are transfers from Centegra's hospitals in McHenry and Woodstock.
Centegra Health System, McHenry County's largest employer, has more than 500 physicians on staff with privileges throughout the system.
"We worked hard on developing our culture here so that this facility would feel the same as our other two hospitals," said Sheila Senn," hospital chief operating officer.